Review by Choice Review
The Islamic Republic, which came to power 17 years ago in Iran, has had a profound impact on the lives of Iranians, particularly women. In its attempt to redefine women's role and status, both at home and in the public sphere, the Islamic regime rescinded most of the laws pertaining to women's rights, pressured women to leave their jobs and stay home, and imposed the wearing of the hajib or Islamic dress. But as Esfandiari makes clear, Iranian women refused to succumb to the fundamentalist agenda of the government. Avoiding direct confrontation with the authorities, women nonetheless succeeded in devising strategies with which to resist, cope, and neutralize the regime's efforts to limit their rights and circumscribe their lives. Through interviews conducted with a selected group of professional women over a four-year period (1992-1996), Esfandiari assesses the effect of the Islamic revolution on the personal and professional lives of middle-class urban women in Iran. In allowing the women to speak for themselves, and in clearly and sensitively presenting the general cultural context of Iran, Reconstructed Lives provides valuable insight into the dynamic accommodation between the forces of conservatism and modernity in today's Iran. Upper-division undergraduates and above. A. Rassam; CUNY Queens College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
